Linda Cunningham Named the OCC’s First Chief Risk Officer

WASHINGTON — Linda Cunningham today was named the first Chief Risk Officer (CRO) at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

In this role, Ms. Cunningham will lead the agency’s newly created Office of Enterprise Risk Management and the agency’s Enterprise Risk Committee.  She will also participate in the OCC Executive Committee, the National Risk Committee, and other significant meetings to promote a broader view of enterprise risks.  In this role, she will report directly to the Comptroller of the Currency.

Under her direction, the Office of Enterprise Risk Management will drive an agency-wide view of risks and evaluate adherence to the agency’s risk appetite statement.  The office will enhance  the agency’s communication, collaboration, and transparency of enterprise-wide risks and its strategies to mitigate those risks.

“We created the Office of Enterprise Risk Management and established a CRO position to enhance the OCC’s ability to identify, evaluate, and manage risks to the agency,” said Comptroller of the Currency Thomas J. Curry.  “Linda brings more than three decades of bank supervision experience and will help enhance our ability to identify, evaluate, and manage enterprise risks.”

“By instituting these best practices in assessing and mitigating enterprise risks,” the Comptroller added, “the OCC will continue to sharpen its effectiveness in ensuring the safety and soundness of the federal banking system.”

Ms. Cunningham is a Senior National Bank Examiner with significant experience and proven leadership.  She has served as Examiner-in-Charge of some of the largest and most complex financial institutions and participated in key OCC initiatives, including the agency’s 2013 International Peer Review.  Ms. Cunningham received her bachelor of science degree from West Virginia State College.